Thursday, April 12, 2018

Can We Use Apple Juice Or Only Water When Communion Grape Juice Is Not Available?

Question: Is it wrong if church is giving bread and apple juice or only water instead of grape juice for holy communion? What I think is it's all about faith. If grape juice is not available then even plain water can be taken.

Answer: Greetings in Jesus wonderful name!

I believe that you have read the answer to the previous question regarding this which you asked that was titled, "Should We Use Only Grape Juice For Holy Communion?" very carefully, and that you are asking thoughtfully this above question to know what is the most important ingredient in the Holy Communion to make it become a genuine one, is it faith or the right communion elements?

Let us see first, what faith is and what it is not?

The Word of God says, "1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony... 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.: Heb 11:1-2, 6).

When the writer to the Hebrews starts by saying "Now faith is," it does mean that faith is in the present tense and may change according to each situation that God allows in the life of his saints. All faith is not the same faith, each one differs according to the measure God gives (Rom 12:3). Above all, it is the spiritual "substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen", which means a heavenly substance of faith about what is to come is downloaded each time uniquely in to our spirit-man which gives us a tangible evidence of what God wants us to say and do at a particular situation in our lives. So our faith is not a blind faith as the world thinks for sure. It is a spiritual substance that can be felt and seen only by those who hold it in their lives and it cannot be easily explained to others, this is the reason the world calls the believing community as blind when in actuality they are the blind ones who cannot see or touch spiritually the substance of faith. Faith looks not to please men or get a good testimony from them, but looks only to please God and obtain a good testimony from Him. As we all know that no amount of prayer or works we do for God or repentance or confession of sin or crying or shouting or fasting, or any other spiritual activities in all the world can please God except when it is accompanied with faith. The reason for our coming to God must be not to seek just the substance of faith, but to seek God through the substance of faith which will please God and will bring His reward that we see through faith in to reality. In short, true faith is to believe what we do not see with our eyes but only see with our heart, the reward of faith is to see with our eyes what we have seen until then with our heart patiently. God is a rewarder, faith brings reward. Any faith that does not have an end is not true faith, because all true faith will have reward from the rewarder who is God Himself who is the ultimate object of our seeking through our faith.

So when you ask, "Is it wrong if church is giving bread and apple juice or only water instead of grape juice for holy communion?" No it is not wrong spiritually, as we know that the object of our faith is not the communion elements in itself, but the blood of Jesus which was shed for the forgiveness of all our past, present and future sins, and the broken body of Jesus which was actually broken for the healing of our body, soul and spirit from all the curses, diseases and sickness which usually makes us broken and unhealthy because of sin and disobedience and also natural causes which makes us unfit to serve God in our lives (1 Cor 11:27-30; 2 Chron 30:18; Matt 26:26-29; Jam 5:13--18). With faith in the blood and body of Jesus, through communion elements we look forward to the forgiveness of sins in our soul and healing in our body that God provides us personally by remembering what Jesus has done for us (Matt 8:16-17; 9:5-6; Luke 5:20; 7:48). So the authenticity of our faith is proved as genuine only when we receive in reality what God has promised as our inheritance in Him through faith, both forgiveness and healing (1 Cor 11:30).

Jesus looked forward to drink the "fruit of the vine" in the Father's Kingdom with us His followers, which clearly reveals that the elements are very much a symbolic importance to us who remember and do the same in remembrance of Him who is our Lord and Master who is the greatest example of our faith (1 Cor 11:23, 24, 25; Luke 22:18-20; Mark 14:22-25). Faith is obedience to what Jesus says, so even the elements of our communion should be eagerly sought after, so that our obedience to the faith can be fulfilled when we are ready to punish our own disobedience of unbelief (Rom 1:5; 16:26; 2 Cor 10:6). In other words, the God who revealed his glory in the first miracle of his ministry by turning the water in to wine in the marriage of Cana is able to do it again when a really critical situation of need arises, and we apply the faith of our Lord Jesus again to see such a same kind of miracle with us as "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." (John 2:1-11; Gal 2:20; Mark 11:22; Heb 13:8), when we have tried to get it and have not been able to acquire the grape juice or wine, God understands our motive and our faith, then we can stay assured that we have by faith used as elements whatever was available which we have got, and also know that God will not judge us for what is unavailable as we have judged ourselves with what was available (1 Cor 11:31; 1 John 3:19-23, 24).

So according to me we do not decide our faith elements, but God decides our faith, we always look forward to please Him with all our mind, strength, heart and soul because of our love for Him (Luke 10:27), and for what He has already done in our lives through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 8:32; John 3:16). If we take what is available we have tried our best to remember what Jesus has done for us, what is unavailable God takes care of it and will never expect us to fulfill it or demand when it is not available. What you think is right, but it should be the right kind and original quality of faith which will always be accompanied by works that pleases God or else our so called faith is actually in reality dead (Jam 2:22, 20 , 21).

So if grape juice is not available then even plain water can be taken by faith? Yes if it is the right kind of faith accompanied by the works of us offering our best to please God with what He first expressed with much care and joy of sharing the "fruit of the vine" with us who are his followers and disciples, if it was not available even after we have tried our best, it means it is indeed acceptable to God as He sees our motives and does not just judge by our works alone but rather by our works of faith to reward us eternally (Heb 11:4; Gen 4:2-5; Prov 21:27, 29; 1 John 3:12; John 8:44; Prov 16:2). Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!

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